Lewis Smith Bite Is Tough, But Could Improve

Under the new FLW Tour practice rules, anglers must stay off the water on the Wednesday prior to the tournament. They won't know if the bite at Alabama's Lewis Smith Lake picks up today, but many have reasons to believe it will.

They hope it does, anyway, because most endured a tough 4 days of practice.

Lewis Smith is an oddity for Alabama – a deep, clear highland reservoir where spots are the predominant black bass species. It's best known as a striper fishery, but it can kick out some nice spots and some even bigger largemouths if you catch it at the right time.

Some who know the lake well say this should be the right time, but something is a little off. It could be the weather or the fact that the water level has risen dramatically over the past month. In any case, it seems to be a little bit behind on the calendar.

Before getting into more info about the bite, here's more about the lake itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: Lewis Smith
> Type of water: Highland reservoir
> Surface acres: 21,200
> Primary structure/cover: Rock, ledges, stumps, sawed-off trees, docks
> Primary forage: Shad, minnows, crawfish
> Average depth: 100 feet
> Species: Spotted bass, largemouths
> Minimum length: 15 inches (both)
> Reputation: Plenty of spotted bass, but keepers can be scarce
> Weather: Mostly cloudy with intermittent thunderstorms, with a cold front arriving for the weekend
> Water temp: low to mid-60s
> Water visibility/color: Anywhere from very stained to very clear
> Water level: Full pool
> Fish in: 1 to 30 feet
> Fish phase: mostly pre-spawn, some largemouths on beds
> Primary patterns: Sight-fishing, dropshots, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs/worms, Carolina rigs, crankbaits, topwater
> Winning weight: 26 pounds (final 2 days)
> Cut weight (Top 10 after 2 days): 24 pounds
> Check weight: 18 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for Lewis Smith
> Biggest factors: Fish moving toward the bank
> Biggest decision: Spots (more plentiful) or largemouths (bigger on average)
> Wildcard: Big bed-fish – just a couple could be the difference between a win and a so-so finish

Behind Schedule

When April rolls around, the banks of Lewis Smith are usually teeming with bass of both species that are eager to get the annual reproductive process rolling. That's not the case this year, though.

The delay could be due to the weather, which has been slightly cooler than normal. Or it might be attributable to the influx of water (the level has risen 19 feet over the past month following an extended period of drought). Or maybe it's the waning moon, or a combination of those factors, plus a few more.

"The fish here normally don't bed until the dogwoods bloom," said Craig Daniel, a former tour pro who lives just a half-mile from the lake. "And they're just starting to bloom.

"(The fishing is) going to get better – (this tournament) is just about a week early. It's actually on time, but the weather has thrown everything back a little bit. It'll get better and better every day, especially for the guys who keep looking for bedding fish."

Beds or Heads

A good number of largemouths have moved up already, but the consensus is that there aren't enough in the shallows right now to carry anybody through 4 days. If those get picked off on day 1 and others don't move in, the event will likely be a shakey-head worm affair the rest of the way.

If that scenario unfolds, then day 1 could be critical. Anglers who can put a couple of big spawners in the well will have a major leg up on making the Top 10 cut if the field is forced to scramble for 10-pound bags on day 2.

"The really good sight fishermen have to be chomping at the bit," said Alabamian Matt Herren. "If they can get one of those big largemouths a day and then back it up with a limit of spots, they'll be well ahead of the game."

On the final practice day, most of the quality spots were still suspended at depths of 20 feet or more, with maybe that much water between them and the bottom. Some prolonged exposure to the sun would really jumpstart the migration toward the bank, but that isn't likely to occur this week.

Anglers will just have to take what they can, when they can.

"This isn't a fantastic bass fishery, and it never has been," said Georgia veteran Tom Mann Jr. "It's okay, but it's not like a Rayburn or someplace like that.

"When you come here, your expectations have to be realistic."

Mark Davis won the last springtime tour-level event here, a Bassmaster Elite 50 in 2005. He averaged 12 1/2 pounds over the final 2 days.

The FLW Series staged a November event during its inaugural 2006 campaign. It was forgettable for just about everyone except Sean Hoernke, who won with a paltry 37-07 total over 4 days.

Field Notes

Here are practice reports from some of the anglers in the field.

Matt Herren

"Some guys might be wrecking them, but it hasn't been a pleasant week for me. It's been a slow, tough bite. I've got a couple of little patterns going, but I haven't found a concentration of fish.

"I've spent the bulk of my time hunting spotted bass. I'm a largemouth fisherman, but the spots are going to be the deal unless the water warms up and the largemouths crash the banks."

Greg Pugh

"It's been pretty tough. I don't think the fish have gotten used to the higher water, and we've had cloudy weather and a little cold front coming through. They don't know what's going on yet.

"I can catch all the slot fish (13- to 15-inchers) I want, but the bigger ones are harder to come by. I've only been getting a couple of keepers a day. Unless something changes, it'll be a tough tournament."

Rob Kilby

"This lake is always an exercise, but I caught them pretty good on a couple of days. The first day I caught all largemouths, and the second day I got all spots, and most of those were 17 to 18 inches.

"I'm hoping I have to go to just one spot (on day 1). If that doesn't work out, then I'll have to look around some more. It'll be a ho-hum work day – this places is never fun, and you just have to grind it out."

Tom Mann Jr.

"It's been pretty pitiful, but it could turn out to be a decent tournament. We had fish coming up (Tuesday), and we've got another day before we start.

"I've caught a limit of 'overs' every day, but it's been a struggle. They've been some long days."

Jacob Powroznik

"A lot of fish are still suspended, so I'll just bear down and go fishing and try to keep my bait in the water. It should bust wide open sometime during the tournament – maybe Saturday or Sunday.

"Right now, it's like the fish are moving every day and you have to kind of jump around and find out where they went. But still, it's going to be a whole lot better than it was in the fall (of '06)."

George Cochran

"Everything I'm catching is shallow and they're not really aggressive. I've pretty much had to finesse them.

"It ought to be a lot better than what it is at this time of year. I found some stained water and I tried to power-fish in it, but that didn't work out. It looks like it'll be a weenie-rod deal again."

Top 10 to Watch

Here are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

1. David Dudley – Sight-fishing is his passion, and he's been on a pattern of notching a Top 10 in just about every other event. He was 67th in the opener at Toho, so that makes him due.

2. Greg Pugh – The Cullman, Ala. resident has considerable experience here, and if a lot of fish move in, he'll know where they're likely to gather. He's also proficient at pulling them off the beds.

3. Jay Yelas – The defending Angler of the Year (AOY) doesn't get flustered under tough conditions and won't try to force the lake to give him more than it's willing to. He's caught a bed-fish or two in his day and he's also excellent with a finesse stick.

4. Luke Clausen – He seems to do well everywhere that spotted bass live, and he hasn't made a Top 10 in almost 2 years. Few would be surprised to see him fishing on the weekend.

5. Clark Wendlandt – He's fared no worse than 12th in the last three Tour events dating back to last year, and he's a superb bed-fisherman and finesse angler. It'd be a mistake to pick against him here.

6. Shinichi Fukae – He showed that the new practice rules wouldn't hinder him by finishing 5th at Toho, and he's always good in tough-bite events. Look for his train to keep right on rolling.

7. Shad Schenck – He has three Top 10s in the last four tour events, and the other one was a 17th. There's no reason to pick the Indianan other than the fact that he's blazing hot.

8. Guido Hibdon – The 61-year-old legend isn't seen near the top of the standings sheet much anymore, but conditions here might be right for him to conjure up some light-line magic.

9. Koby Kreiger – He got his season off to a good start with an 11th at Toho, and he's undoubtedly got a few nice bed-fish staked out. He's a guy who could make a big statement on day 1.

10. David Fritts – He's done well here in past events, and the mostly pre-spawn conditions bode well for him. His best finish in 2007 was 38th, but he should easily top that here.

Notable

> BassFan Big Stick Jay Yelas didn't encounter as many bed-fish as he'd hoped to find, but he had a productive practice and is confident that he can make a run at the Top 10. To read his report, click here.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. each day Lewis Smith Dam (640 Powerhouse Road, Jasper, Ala.). Thursday's and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the dam beginning at 3 p.m.

Weigh-ins on Saturday and Sunday will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N. in Birmingham) beginning at 4 p.m.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the tournament days. For more weather information, including satellite and radar imagery, visit OutdoorsFanWeather.com.

> Thur., April 3 - Mostly Cloudy - 70°/53°
- Wind: From the N/NE at 8 mph

> Fri., April 4 - P.M. T-Storms - 73°/59°
- Wind: From the SE at 13 mph

> Sat., April 5 - T-Storms - 77°/53°
- Wind: From the S/SW at 15 mph

> Sun., April 6 - Few Showers - 70°/44°
- Wind: From the N/NW at 8 mph